The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has cautioned his supporters in Rivers State, to steer clear of violence, as that is not the best way to resolve any issue, Page 36 learnt.
Amaechi was reacting to two viral videos of his supporters in Rivers State; one group inciting violence, and the other dissociating him from the comments of the first group, stating that he is a man of peace.
A statement by his Media Team, said that Amaechi addressed the issue during a TV interview on Tuesday, stating that, the rule of law must be respected and upheld at all times.
He said: “First, if you say you are my supporter, you will know that I do not just respect the law, I fear the law. Breaking the law can put you in jail. Because of the kind of words used in that video, I may have to address it.
“I believe that no matter how angry you are, no matter how institutions are manipulated, a Judge once said: “I am allowed to be wrong, that is why you have the Court of Appeal, that is why you have the Supreme Court”. So, if you think that what the State Judiciary is doing is wrong, then you go to the Court of Appeal, you go to the Supreme Court, and ensure you exhaust the due process. No matter your frustration, you do not have the right to take the law into your hands.
“I am responding to those videos, is because they all said they are my supporters, those who made the comment, and those who countered them. My message to everyone is to tell everybody who is supporting me, to please remain calm and get out of violence. Never be part of violence, because I will not defend anybody when you get violent.
“The law will take its course. Whatever is happening, if anything goes wrong in the High Court, you go to the Court of Appeal, if anything goes wrong in the Court of Appeal, you go to the Supreme Court, but do not you ever take the law into your hands, just like my children would never do that”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has said that its attention has been drawn to a viral video by a group of All Progressives Congress, APC, supporters, who did not disguise their rabid loyalty and sycophancy to the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, in a statement, said that the Rivers State Government is fully ready and determined to bring the full weight of the law to bear, on anybody who threatens to breach the hard-earned peace and security which Governor Nyesom Wike has worked so hard to entrench and sustain in the State.
The State Government said: “While it is not in our place to advise people on who to support or otherwise, we take very strong exception to the provocative and incendiary language used by the Leader of the group, where he threatened the peace of the State, and invoked fire, brimstone, death, and destruction on Rivers State and our dear Rivers people, should any unfavourable judgement and action befall their Leader and Master, Rotimi Amaechi, in the current crisis rocking the fractured Rivers APC.
“Let us also make it very clear to all those purveyors of misleading and wild narrative, that Governor Wike is neither involved in the crisis rocking the fractured APC in Rivers State, nor has any interest in the emergence or determination of the Leadership of the party, whatsoever.
“We also take great exception to the wild and dangerous threats and intimidation made against the Judiciary in Rivers State, in utterances that can best be described as grossly inciting, offensive, and derogatory and treasonable.
“The Rivers State Government hereby warns that it will come down hard on any trouble maker, who desires to foment trouble in the State.
“We want to use this opportunity to put the Inspector-General of Police and all the Security Agencies on notice, to live up to their responsibilities, by taking prompt action on what is obviously a clear case of treason by a group whose leader is well known in the country.”